Influencers vs Tastemakers
Social Media is a blessing and a curse. It allows us to communicate with people worldwide in a highly visual way, and often in a niche hobby sport like rollerskating, it can foster communities and genuine friendships built on shared passion. However, the internet brain rot and late-stage capitalism are leading to an epidemic of skaters who turn to Instagram reels with one purpose: to push you a coupon code and farm engagement.
Listen, I’m not saying you can’t collect your pennies, and I say pennies because let's face it, it’s not a bag. Sponsorship and community engagement are important for the identity, public reception, and general buzz around a brand; thus, companies should offer opportunities to skaters who match their freak. On the receiving end, those who accept sponsorships and affiliate codes are not wrong in taking the opportunities offered, but those in action sports often frame sponsorship as the be-all end-all to their goals. I often see beginner accounts with less than 200 followers listing their email in their bio paired with the ever-thirsty “Collab?”. Instead of aspiring to shoot photos or video parts and develop their skate style and local scene, new skaters tend to turn to influencing to establish legitimacy. You know, the kind where they hashtag every brand they have on as well as a bunch of lameo stuff like “#instagood”. Fifteen years ago, being a content creator involved setting up a camera on a tripod, getting the footage from the camera to an editing software on a computer, and then the grueling upload to YouTube. Not to mention, there were no content templates. Nowadays, there is no barrier to entry; you can shoot, edit, and post to platforms like TikTok and Instagram within minutes, which is sick if you’re just looking for an easy way to post clips, have fun, and be yourself. However, this ease of access to being a content creator has made it possible for people new to any community to hit the ground running on making that “branded” content that is actively hunting for sponsorship. This, combined with the way Instagram can be gamed with trending audio and tags, makes for content that lacks richness in what it’s saying. Sometimes, as I scroll through Instagram, it feels as though reels are just content for content's sake. It’s like they are posted to farm the maximum number of likes and engagement, but they utterly lack authenticity and personality. There is this prevailing, often subconscious, thought process to monetize every hobby you have, and skating is not exempt from that, as many strive to “go viral”.
So, with all of these factors, such as the hunger for brand recognition, ease of access, and the stripping of personal style in exchange for “post visibility,” soulless Instagram content thrives in this environment. This isn’t to say there aren’t creators who offer their audiences something to chew on. I would love to see more people shift from influencer to tastemaker.
To me, the key difference between an influencer and a tastemaker is that a tastemaker shapes the culture and does not just offer a coupon code behind a trending audio. As much as I love a discount, it doesn’t build community or add anything meaningful to the conversation alone. If we viewed brand ties as tools to skate, create, and build, I think we could potentially see more meaningful content that has a longer shelf life than the 2 days after it was posted to Instagram. I encourage any fellow content creator to consider what they offer their audience besides 10-second reels. As a sport, we have so much room for photographers, filmers, editors, writers, event organizers, and coaches; please take advantage of it. I, for one, would love to see what you create.